JERUSALEM: Arab political parties have registered a historic breakthrough in Israel’s parliamentary elections, winning a combined 19 seats and emerging as potential kingmakers in the formation of the next government.
Their performance has complicated the opposition’s efforts to dislodge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose Likud-led bloc secured 53 seats but fell short of the 61-seat majority.
Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot faces the challenge of securing wider support, with mainstream Jewish parties reluctant to enter a formal arrangement with Arab factions.
The results have also triggered political tensions, with allegations of electoral interference being rejected by Israeli authorities.